Borough armed forces groups to gather at Wigan church to mark Battle of Britain anniversary

The World War Two conflict will be commemorated tomorrow (Tuesday) at Wigan Parish Church.
The 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain is being markedThe 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain is being marked
The 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain is being marked

The memorial service has been organised by the Leigh branch of the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) and Wigan Borough Armed Forces HQ.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions there will be a limited congregation including the Mayor of Wigan Coun Steve Dawber.

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As Wigan is one of the few places holding an anniversary service for the battle RAF Association operations director for the north, Joe Stanfield MBE, who served for 27 years in the air force, will also attend.

The Battle of Britain has gone down in military history as the first decisive engagement in history to be fought entirely in the air.

The events between May and September 1940, when RAF and Luftwaffe pilots battled in the skies, inspired prime minister Winston Churchill's famous words: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few".

John Harker MBE, strategic lead for armed forces and veterans at Wigan Council, said: “We are delighted to help the RAF Association Leigh branch celebrate this significant event and join them in providing more support to veterans in the Wigan area.”

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During the Battle of Britain the German air force moved away from attacking shipping and coastal targets to trying to destroy RAF airfields and other inland infrastructure.

However, the RAF response meant these attempts were unsuccessful.

The 80th anniversary commemorations will also remember those who carried out vital support roles such as ground crew, drivers, radar operators, plotters, ARP wardens, firefighters, and nurses as well as those who were affected by bombing raids around the country.

The RAF Association is also appealing to the public for support with its work providing emergency help to veterans who have been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The Leigh branch would normally be out holding collection buckets for its Wings Appeal, but with some of its volunteers thought to be at high risk from the coronavirus the fund-raising drive has moved online instead.

Paul Newton, the chairman of RAFA Leigh, said: “The JustGiving page means we won’t be constrained by the number of streets or supermarkets our volunteers can visit, so the sky’s now the limit in terms of how many people we can reach."

Amy Petterson, head of community fund-raising at the RAF Association, said: “People in the Wigan area have always been incredibly generous in throwing money into our Wings Appeal buckets. In this, the Battle of Britain’s 80th anniversary year, we hope they will continue to support us."

Find out more or donate to the appeal at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rafaleighbranch.”

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